The charge is the Prince is the king and Jill Jones is Electra. I disagree. I think it's a touching and open song. Opinions please.

The lyrics of the verses are silly, the whole song is overblown, and still a lot of people, like yourself, find it touching.

I think Tamborine about the loneliness of masturbation, is a lot more touching...

I find it both pretentious and sincere - and a great song.

I tend not to be touched by Prince's lyrics, but by the sound of the song or the autheticity of HIS feelings - even though they seem strange to me.

I just discovered this song a couple of days ago and think it´s fantastic! I first heard it while I was watching a youtube clip from Prince backstage in 1988, and in the end he sits at the piano singing this song. Question: Is this full performance of just The Ladder live on the piano out, and where can I watch it??

I feel that in this song some big questions are being asked, why am I here? What is the meaning of life? What happens at death?

MrNorway said:

I just discovered this song a couple of days ago and think it´s fantastic! I first heard it while I was watching a youtube clip from Prince backstage in 1988, and in the end he sits at the piano singing this song. Question: Is this full performance of just The Ladder live on the piano out, and where can I watch it??

No, it is not circulating. Although I'm certain it exists. Love the song by the way, that and America are my two favorites off ATWIAD.

never thought much about this song until I saw that version where he sits and plays it at the piano and makes it so great, especially in context of the documentary you just saw tracing his entire career up to 1988... the song becomes very personal and true in that light.

Remember Tupac used a line from this song in his own song, "I Get Around"?

ufoclub said:

never thought much about this song until I saw that version where he sits and plays it at the piano and makes it so great, especially in context of the documentary you just saw tracing his entire career up to 1988... the song becomes very personal and true in that light.

Same with me. That rehearsal version at the end of the Omnibus documentary is wonderful (even the freeze frame that they end it on is perfect!). The album track to me is just kind of blah...just drones on and seems to be trying too hard to be an anthem. And as far as the original question, I find that it's both pretentious and sincere. Of course, a lot of Prince music is! That's it's charm in it's own way.